Sub-Short Scale Talk

“Bass is a function, not an instrument.” Dang I read this is some famous upright bass player’s biography, wish I could recall who!!! As a tubist also, the brass bass, we like to point this out, we even have a March called Them Basses by Huffine. Yeah, we have esteem issues so important to be acknowledged as bassists like the cool kids. I started bass as a tuba player for Dixieland.

IMHO, a Cello tuned CGDA is a bass instrument, depending on the ensemble, it often plays the bass function and role. So your low D is just a whole step away. If holding down the bass, it’s a bass. Klezmer music used what ever lowly instrument was available, bass clarinet, cello, etc. Mandocello takes on bass function. In an orchestra, the contrabass takes most of the bass role, or reinforces the cellos’ bassin’, but in smaller ensembles, string quartet, etc., cello is often the bass, reinforced by piano maybe.

Historically, there were a few bass banjo and mando made but longer than 30” I’d guess.

 

New Bass Uke Day (NBUD) - Modified Hadean Violin Hofner Style

In culling my 31 bass ukes/mini bass guitars down to eight thinline 21" scale piezo, I bought a Hadean violin style bass uke on sale for $199.95 from RondoMusic.com specifically to modify it to look different than the sunburst one I have.

I gave it to Pat Wilkins to paint the top and truss rod cover teal (with a bit of black textural color), then brought it to my guy Eric's Guitar to replace the semi adjustable floating bridge and wonky saddle pickup assembly with a fully adjustable all metal bridge, which he also did for my sunburst. He had to add a brace under the top, and a riser under the bridge to match the fretboard height. I also asked him to add an on/ff slide switch for the preamp so I can leave my wireless Lekato plugged in between sets.

I replaced the tailpiece to match the style of the Hofner, replaced the knobs, and added a stick-on sound hole that I had made with a ring that matches the Hadean binding, just to make it look that much different than the traditional Hofner sunburst. I only use Kala/Galli flatwound strings.

 

Yeah I know its been touched on, but:

 

New Bass Uke Day (NBUD) - Another modified Hadean Violin Hofner Style

Picked up my $200 Hadean black violin 21" scale bass uke from Eric's Guitar in Sound City, Van Nuys, CA yesterday. He modified it, replacing the wood floating bridge and wonky piezo pickup with a fully adjustable all metal bridge that has 4 individual saddle piezo pickups that I bought from Thompson Guitar on eBay, Eric added a riser for the bridge, and Hofner style tailpiece I also bought on eBay.

He made a chrome looking pickguard from a blank I bought on Amazon, and installed a chrome looking truss rod cover I already had. He installed the Gotoh Compact chrome tuners I bought on Amazon, and added an on/off slide switch so I can leave my wireless pod plugged into the active output jack. He also installed the Kala/Galli flatwound nylon core strings and chrome top knobs I provided.

I'm going to make a headstock label and call it a Chromalele. The mods and parts cost about $620, so for about $820, I have a almost completely customized bass uke.

 

Sharp looking instrument there, and with your mods it is probably quality as well. Hope it works well for you wrt your nerve damage.

 

Thanks very much. I played it today with my uke group for about 90 minutes, worked very well. I chose these 21" scale Hadean copy of a Hofner because they're the most comfortable for me now.

 

Guild Jumbo Junior.
Arrived last Saturday
More about it here

 

Sebastian Steinberg
https://bassmagazine.com/artists/se... not,the limitless possibilities of frequency.

 

A Mikro-sized Jazz bass!

 

Carrying on my new collection of Hadean violin/Hofner style bass ukes, I just picked up the next one I had modified by Eric's Guitar and painted by Pat Wilkins, both in Van Nuys, CA. Eric replaced parts that I supplied; floating piezo wood bridge/pickup with a metal fully adjustable piezo bridge, adding a riser, Gotoh tuning machines, Strat chrome knobs, Hofner style tailpiece, Kala/Galli flatwound nylon core strings. Pat painted the top and truss rod metallic green. I printed and applied the stick on f holes. All in for about $970.

 

Purty....

 

Funny I just purchased a CNZ / J&D combo bass from a friend on TalkBass who I met through the Short Scale Club.

If you're interested: NBD: Preston Custom Mini Jazz

 

That's a 25" scale bass, right?

 

25.5" if you want to be exact

 

I'm an engineer, so yes, I like to be exact! Thanks for the clarification!
Do you have one of those? I saw one on Reverb and had been curious how I'd like it.

 

I do not, but I've thought about it for a mod project (spoiler alert, if I buy a bass, its a mod project!)...

Most reviews I've seen have indicated that it is not a great instrument out of the box but that it has potential.

 

I think a few peeps in the Glarry Club may have one?

Glarry GW101? Short-scale warwickish bass. Anyone tried one of these?

@Lownote38 Grabbed one, I think?

 

One of ‘em’s posted above

 

Looking for a 25 to 27 inch 6 string under $250. Maybe 5 string. Suggestions?